Anticipation
by Scripta Lexicona
Summary: AU. Aureliane wakes up on a very special morning only to find that L and Light are gone. Part of what I'm calling the "Aure 'verse."


AN: Gah! This was supposed to be for the 13th, but according to my clock it's now the 14th... Assume it's still the 13th! :) Also, for the purposes of this fic, assume the year is 2015, as I doubt L and Light would be adopting a baby when Light is only 16.

Huge thanks to my husband, who is a great help as always!

**Dedicated to MAB**: Miss you like hell every damn day.

* * *

**Anticipation**

"Do you really think it'll be alright?" L's low voice carried softly to Light as they stood in the darkened room, gazing at the figure they could just make out in the light cast through the partially-opened door. A thumb was being nibbled fervently between L's lips and Light raised a brow and smiled just a bit to see it.

"You can't tell me you're getting cold feet now," he answered, just as softly in the still space. "It's a little late for that. Besides, half it of was your idea."

The thumb was worried even more fervently. "I know."

Light stifled the urge to roll his eyes. "It'll be fine, trust me." At that Light smirked and L's thumb finally dropped from his mouth as he gave Light a wry smile. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and moved across the room to the bay window, bare feet carrying him soundlessly. Several rows of teddy bears had been meticulously lined up on the window seat except for one blank space and it was here that L placed the envelope.

As quietly, he made his way over to the bed, bending over the figure snuggled into its depth, a long careful finger gently brushing some hair away so that he could place the barest of kisses on a rounded cheek.

"Sleep well, baby," he murmured, then stole back over to Light, the two casting a final look back before departing the room.

***

When Auréliane woke the next morning it was very quiet and she knew she was alone. The knowledge made her sad, although she was not surprised. Her fathers had told her that, likely, they wouldn't be there when she woke today. But she'd been hoping, just maybe … especially today….

Giving herself a shake, she scolded mentally, _None of that! You know they're very important people and they would be here if they could! It's just one day!_ But if it just hadn't been _this_ day. Because today was Auréliane's birthday. Number seven, thank you very much, and a very important number, she thought. Halfway to being well into her teens, a third of the way to being an adult in all senses of the word. So was it really so bad that she wanted her fathers there to celebrate with her?

She gave herself another shake. _We can celebrate anytime! For now, out of bed! No more gretzing!_ Experimentally, she sniffed the air, not surprised when she didn't smell anything. If Mr. Mello had been there yet, she surely would have known it when she woke. He wasn't the most quiet of people. As she rose, pushing back her covers and hopping down out of the bed, taking her teddy bear with her, she wondered when Mr. Mello would be arriving. And if Mr. Matt would be coming as well. And what they would be making for breakfast. She grinned as she straightening her sheet and comforter, thinking about Mr. Mello's breakfasts. Definitely things Daddy would enjoy while Papa would scold him for.

Humming as she went to her bureau, teddy bear still clutched in her hand, Auréliane hoped Mr. Matt _did _come today. She'd been working for at least the last three years on trying to get him to stop smoking those icky cigarettes. He never did it in the house because her fathers wouldn't let him, but she could still smell it on him. Unfortunately, all her efforts had been fruitless so far – he would just smile, pat her head and then show her his latest video game. But she figured it was just a matter of time. (Besides, she liked playing some of his games.)

An outfit selected from her bureau (a very nice one, even though it would only be Mr. Mello and maybe Mr. Matt to see her today), Auréliane set it on her bed and went over to the window to put her teddy bear, Beah, away for the day. That was when she saw the envelope, resting in Beah's normal spot. She snatched it up (placing Beah carefully back where he belonged), excited to see her name on the outside in Daddy's handwriting. She opened it find a card with a nice, artfully fuzzy picture of a rose.

The inside was blank except for a message, again in Daddy's handwriting, which read:

_Follow the black cat._

Underneath was what she recognized as her daddy's sloppy version of a heart, signed by "Daddy" and "パパ."

Auréliane was understandably confused by the message until she looked around her room and noticed the paw prints for the first time. Construction paper circles had been attached to her wall, leading away from the bears toward the door, black kitty paw prints in each one. With a giant grin, she realized that her fathers had made this a special day for her after all, even if they couldn't be there themselves. That thought in mind, she raced to her bed to pick up her clothes and hurried into her little bathroom to ready herself for the day.

When she was all dressed and neatly brushed – both hair and teeth – she went back into her bedroom, card still in hand, and "followed the black cat" out the door and into the hall. The prints continued along the wall, meandering up and down unconcernedly. They led her past her fathers' room, past the guest room and guest bath, and out into the breakfast nook tucked next to the large, open kitchen.

On the table in the nook was a small teddy bear dressed in a black kitty costume, one arm up and pointing toward the den. In delight, Auréliane trotted up to the table and took the bear, practically cooing at the softness of the kitty fur and the cuteness of the bear's face. (She'd received a few different kinds of stuffed animals in the years since she'd been born and while she thought most of them were cute in their own way, for her it would always be teddy bears.)

There was a note tied around Kitty-bear's neck, again in Daddy's handwriting. This one read:

_Break the mirror_.

Auréliane was even more confused than she'd been when she read her first note. She wasn't supposed to be breaking mirrors! It was dangerous and bad luck besides— She grinned suddenly as she figured it out. Bad luck! Black cat, breaking mirrors … all bad luck things to tease her for her Friday the thirteenth birthday. And wasn't breaking a mirror supposed to be _seven years_ bad luck? She giggled, thinking, _Clever Daddy. And Papa_.

Now she looked around earnestly, not entirely sure _what_ she should be looking for. After all, this was surely some kind of game for her birthday and they wouldn't want her to _actually_ break a mirror. But then what…? And then Auréliane remembered that the teddy bear had been pointing toward the den and she went in, taking the bear with her.

In the den, she quickly found her "mirror", sitting on the hearth. It was actually some kind of shiny, reflective foil, stretched over one side of a box. After studying it warily and poking it for a few moments, she finally poked through with two stiff fingers, feeling empty air on the other side. A bit of tearing and pulling revealed an object inside the box and Auréliane carefully pulled it out.

It was a smaller box, maybe six inches long, about four inches wide and three inches high. It was simple-looking but very pretty; silver in color with a loopy, pointy design engraved in the top. There was a little latch on the front and Auréliane lifted it to peek inside. Under the lid was a mirror and as soon as it was fully opened it began to play a tune, something that sounded vaguely familiar but that ultimately she didn't recognize. She put it out of her mind, though, in sheer enjoyment of the musical box that she'd received. As well as another clue, in the form of a piece of paper folded inside the box.

This one, in Papa's handwriting, read:

_Walk under the ladder_.

After a moment of contemplating, the only ladder she could think of was the one in her fathers' study. She gnawed on a nail for a moment before forcibly stopping herself. Normally, Auréliane wasn't allowed in the study without her fathers being present – there was a lot of valuable things in there and they also didn't want her on the ladder without supervision. But, they'd obviously given permission….

Still feeling a bit unsure, she nevertheless headed out of the den and down the hall to the study. She was very quiet as she slipped inside, unconsciously wanting to disturb the room as little as possible, even by her breath. Auréliane very much liked the room – all the walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookcases except where the window and door were. There were poofy leather chairs, a shiny wooden table with a pretty green-shaded lamp, various floor lamps, and a big old-fashioned-looking globe.

The ladder was one of the rolly kinds, but it could be moved from case to case. (Papa had once explained that there was a grove in the top of each bookcase that the tiny wheels at the top of the ladder rested in – to move it, one just had to lift enough to raise the wheels out of the grove.) Auréliane padded over a little furtively, still a little uncomfortable.

Her discomfort left quickly, though, when she saw the object lying on a low step of the ladder. Eagerly, she picked it up, fingers tracing the letters of the cover. It was a hard-backed book, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_. She could remember the story as one that Papa had read to her before, but realized that this was now her very own copy and she hugged it to herself, gleefully. Unable to avoid the temptation, Auréliane paged through the book and thus happened upon another piece of paper, in between the pages where the picture of Alice with the Cat was. In Papa's handwriting once more, it read:

_Open an umbrella in the house._

This one was the toughest yet. She was sure he meant a specific umbrella but she couldn't think of what it might be. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure _where_ the umbrellas were normally kept. Probably in the coat closet, but that didn't seem right….

Deep in thought, Auréliane cast her eyes around the room, hoping to see another clue or something that might help her figure this out. Unfortunately, nothing sprang out at her and she started to get a little frustrated. _What umbrella could it be?_ Again, her eyes searched the room and this time when they passed over the grandfather clock standing next to the door, they flickered back again. It was about nine o' clock. An idea suddenly formed and Auréliane grinned. She quickly left the room, carefully carrying her teddy bear, music box and book, and headed to the back of the house where the conservatory was. The conservatory that had an automatic watering system which ran every morning.

It was running now and sitting on a shelf outside the door was a little umbrella, something shiny wrapped around the handle. Auréliane carefully picked it up to find that the shiny was a necklace with a silver locket dangling from the chain. She delicately unwound the chain from around the handle of the umbrella and, after fumbling a few times, got the locket open. Inside was a tiny picture of Papa, Daddy and a golden-haired baby she knew was her, as well as a small curl of golden hair.

There was also a tiny piece of paper folded up inside with equally tiny writing. (She couldn't be sure this time whose it was, but she suspected Papa.) All it said was:

_Almost there._

The chain was long enough that Auréliane could pull it over her head without unclasping it and she cautiously did so, gripping the locket tightly in her fist for a moment and smiling sweetly. Then she picked up the umbrella and all her other things and prepared to go through the conservatory. She still wasn't entirely sure what the note meant, but the umbrella was there so she assumed she was supposed to go through to the sunroom on the other side. She did so, giggling a little as the water plipped and plopped and her bare feet made wet slapping noises on the floor. Daddy would heartily approve; Papa would not.

At the other end, the water didn't reach the door, allowing her to close the umbrella before stepping into the sunroom, which she did, wiping her feet on the soft mat as well. Auréliane opened the door and walked through, almost dropping her things in surprise at the sight that met her. Daddy and Papa stood there at the opposite side of the room, smiling and waiting.

"Daddy! Papa!" She set her things on a table near the door and then flew at them. Daddy crouched down and opened his arms and Auréliane jumped into them, giggling madly as she was swept up into a tight hug, swung back and forth so that her dangling legs flew out lightly. Daddy gave her a kiss and then passed her over to Papa, who gave her an equally tight hug and a kiss as well.

"I thought you weren't going to be here!" she said, only a little accusingly when Papa put her down. Daddy looked a little guilty but smiled anyway.

"I know, baby. But we wanted to surprise you. Did you like it?"

She beamed at them. "Yeah! It was lots of fun! I figured it all out! And I love my things! Thank you very much!" They both beamed back.

"You're very welcome, Auré," Papa answered. "Are you hungry?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded. Papa sat her down at the table which, she finally noticed, held a cake decorated with chocolate icing and strawberries.

"Cake?" she asked, excitedly. "For breakfast?" Daddy grinned widely, taking his own seat, and Papa smiled, too as he sat.

"Just today," he warned. "Happy Birthday, Auréliane."

"Happy Birthday, Princess," Daddy echoed.

As Papa cut the cake and he and Daddy got into a small argument about the size of the piece Daddy should get, Auréliane decided that this was definitely the best birthday in history.

* * *

AN: Very little L and Light, I know, but I'm hoping cuteness makes up for it. :)

The song Auré's music box plays is "Memory of Fanelia" or, alternatively when sung, "Aoi Hitomi."

I almost shuddered myself making Mello a babysitter, but I didn't feel like creating an OC and really, it's kind of oddly appropriate, I think. :D


End file.
